Hit List - G+Lawrence Block - 2nd in seriesKeller seems the archetypal contemporary urban man. He lives a mostly solitary and quotidian existence on MHit List - G+Lawrence Block - 2nd in seriesKeller seems the archetypal contemporary urban man. He lives a mostly solitary and quotidian existence on Manhattan's East Side. He eats out; he ruminates in Seinfeldian fashion about how to "clean his plate" in a restaurant that trumpets a bottomless coffee cup: every time he empties his cup, a waitress refills it. He works on his stamp collection and goes to jury duty when summoned. Occasionally, he visits Dot in White Plains, then goes to Louisville or Muscatine, Iowa, to murder a stranger. Keller is a contract killer, and Dot is his "broker." Here Keller realizes that someone is stalking him; he and Dot examine it from every angle and conclude that another hit man is pulling a Microsoft--trying to eliminate the competition. Keller's outrage at this unethical behavior recalls the bizarre logic of Catch-22.

I love Block's use of works and dialogue. Only Block could carry this off....more

Hit Man - GLawrence Block - 1st in seriesKeller is your basic Urban Lonely Guy. He makes a decent wage, lives in a nice apartment, works the crosswordHit Man - GLawrence Block - 1st in seriesKeller is your basic Urban Lonely Guy. He makes a decent wage, lives in a nice apartment, works the crossword puzzle. Until the phone rings, and he flies halfway across the country...and kills somebody. It's a living, but is it a life? You've never met anyone like Keller. Keller is a killer. Professional, cool, confident, competent, reliable. The consummate pro. The hit man's hit man. But he is a complex person: understandably guarded and reclusive, icy and ruthlessly efficient, he is also prone to loneliness, self-doubt, and career worries. Keller may be a crack assassin, but he is also an all-too-human being. We first met Keller in Hit Man. He's back again in HIT LIST. Same job, new list of targets, and a hit man who's after him.

- THE WINTER OF FRANKIE MACHINE (Suspense, Frank Machianno, San Diego, Cont) - VGWinslow, Don - StandaloneVintage Crime, 2006, US Paperback, ISBN: 978- THE WINTER OF FRANKIE MACHINE (Suspense, Frank Machianno, San Diego, Cont) - VGWinslow, Don - StandaloneVintage Crime, 2006, US Paperback, ISBN: 9780307277664First Sentence: It is not easy being me.*** Frank Machianno has an ex-wife, a girlfriend, a daughter, loves to surf and owns several businesses. He is also a retired hit man for the mob, once known as Frankie Machine. A favor for an old friend turns out to be an attempted hit on Frankie’s life. Thinking back to events of the past, he has to stay alive and figure out who wants him dead. *** Winslow is one of those rare authors who can really make me root for the anti-hero. Perhaps it is because Frankie, at the beginning, was out of the life and perhaps because he always stayed true to his credo that “never kill innocents, Winslow is a terrific writer who has put a very human, sympathetic face on Frankie. There’s not a lot of development of the other characters, but most don’t live log enough that it matters. These are very brutal people, and this is a very brutal and violent book. In fact, there is so much violence, it tends to overwhelm the human side of the story, it becomes numbing and, I hate to say, almost boring. Even so, it is a stunningly written book and I was turning the pages as quickly as I could, wanting to know what would happen next. I, for one, am very glad to have Mr. Winslow back....more

Retired drug dealer Danny Dimedici passes the days by swimming, spending what's left of his ill-gottenHORSE LATITUDES - GFerrigno, Robert - Standalone

Retired drug dealer Danny Dimedici passes the days by swimming, spending what's left of his ill-gotten capital, and mooning over his divorce. When ex-wife Lauren disappears from her beach home and a dead scientist is found hanging naked from her ceiling, Danny is dragged into a silly extortion scheme over a pop-science miracle drug.

In Devils Hole, a scarred warrior turned modern-day avenger sees his icy, almost superhuman control threatened by the oDEVIL'S HOLD - DNRBranson, Bill

In Devils Hole, a scarred warrior turned modern-day avenger sees his icy, almost superhuman control threatened by the one thing he never expected: falling in love. With a background as a master sniper in Vietnam and a portfolio of nightmares, Arthur roams the country dealing swift justice to society's predators. An unstoppable juggernaut once he gets a contract, Arthur's "signature" is to devise a death that fits the victim's crime. But in Las Vegas, he confronts his most daunting target yet, just as he stumbles on the woman who can make him whole again. Predator and prey, and the woman who stands between them -- in Devils Hole each will be terrifyingly tested as intense passion and violence collide.

This had a VERY brutal beginning. Infact, I didn't even get past page 20!...more

Bernie Rhodenbarr - a romantic? Hey, even burglars fall in love and in this case it's Bernie doing the falling, with the lovely and alluring Ilona. Night after night, sharing popcorn in the flickering shadow of a Bogie movie, Bernie finds himself tongue-tied - sometimes literally. It would appear Ilona's now doing all the stealing. Well, not really. Bernie's been approached by the oddly named Hugo Candlemas to pilfer a posh East Side apartment, make off with the portfolio and collect a fast, easy sum. A reasonable enough request for a trained burglar, sure, but just when things are going well, things turn bad.

This is a lighter series than the Matt Scudder series, which I love. The book had good humor, a wonderful turn of phrase and a classic parlor-room ending. I would read more Rhodenbarr books.

Matthew Patrick O’Shea, knows as Shea, lives in Glasgow and is a member of the Guarda. He always wanted to be a decFirst Sentence: “Where do I begin?’

Matthew Patrick O’Shea, knows as Shea, lives in Glasgow and is a member of the Guarda. He always wanted to be a decent human being and a cop. But he has a dark side that keeps him from being that decent human; a long a way from it.

He transfers to New York City as part of a police exchange and partners with Kebar, someone almost as out of control as Shea. They go from being partners and almost friends to enemies, with innocents damaged along the way.

Bruen is an exceptional writer. His writing is crisp and spare. Full paragraphs are the exception rather than the rule. Not a word is wasted or superfluous. He conveys more in a sentence that others do in a chapter.

He is the only author I know who can write a book about thoroughly despicable characters and make me love the book. And Shea is a thoroughly despicable character. It was, however, nice to have Jack Taylor put in a cameo appearance and there be a link to a Jack Taylor book.

This book is definitely not for everyone. It is dark, profane and brutal. It is also excellent.

Charlie Howard is a suspense writer. He is also a thief. Charlie is approached by an American wFirst Sentence: “I want you to steal something for me.”

Charlie Howard is a suspense writer. He is also a thief. Charlie is approached by an American who offers him 20,000 euros to steal to monkey figurines from two different men on the same night. Charlie declines but, liking a challenge, decides to go ahead. He finds the first monkey but is interrupted by another, less subtle burglar, while looking for the second. When he returns to the American, he finds him beaten and near death. Charlie is arrested but released and determined to find the Three Wise Monkeys and the secret behind them.

Ewan begins with a very good, intriguing opening chapter and a delightful writing style and voice. Charlie is a likeable, albeit crooked, character and I appreciated the back story Ewan provided. I also enjoyed the discussions Charlie had with his agent in London, Victoria. They’ve never met; she thinks he looks like his jacket cover photo. Their relationship reminded me of the Richard Diamond television series from the late 1950’s and his conversations with Sam (voice of Mary Tyler Moore) whose legs where the only thing you saw.

All of Ewan’s characters were well done. Ewan’s voice is one wry humor but never out of place. He takes the characters and the action seriously. His sense of place was not as strong as I might have liked, although it did improve as the story went on.

What I didn’t particularly care for, or is not my preferred style, was the round-up-all-the-players-and-expose-the-truth, ending. It took away from a story that, up to that point, had been very well plotted and filled with unexpected twists right up to the ending.

Jack Taylor has sold his apartment and is ready to head to the US when his friend, RidgeFirst Sentence: Dear Mr. Taylor, Please forgive the formality.

Jack Taylor has sold his apartment and is ready to head to the US when his friend, Ridge, announces she has malignant breast cancer, so he stays to help her. He then receives the letter stating two guards, one nun, one judge and a child will die and he is to be witness. His once friend, now enemy, Guarda Superintendent Clancy, doesn’t give it any credence, but Jack does follows up, with the help of now-recovered Ridge and other friends.

I begin each new Bruen book afraid the quality won’t be has high as the last. I had nothing to fear. Bruen is not for everyone: Jack is a character you don’t necessarily like, but about whom you do care. The story is hard-edged, violent and emotional. The alternating voices of conversational first person and chilling third person is extremely effective.

Bruen’s descriptions of the city, observations on the changes prosperity have wrought on Galway, as well as dark humor and sensitivity make him a remarkable writer.

The story and writing are spare, brutal, physically and emotionally harsh, tragic and brilliant.